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Letters-Patent No. 74,152, datedl'etmary@ 1868.

IMPROVEMENT INRrvoLvINe cANNoN.

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TO ALIIWHOM IT MAY VCONOERN p Be it lnown that I, AUGUST SGHAUSTEN, of Michigan City,in the county of'Iia Porte, and State of Indiana,

have invented certainl new and-useful Improvements in'B-reech-Loading Cannon;` and I 4doherehy declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description lthereoi, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

making'part ot` this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.-

My invention 'relates to breech-loading-cannon, having a series of chamhers'arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane, and be brought successively in line `with the bore of the barrell as hereinafter explained.

Figure l is a top plan View,

Figure 2 a longitudinal vertical section, and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.. u y Y In constructing my improved cannon, I` provide a barrel, A, of the requisite length, and through it transa versely, near the breech, I form a rectangular opening, of sufficient size to receive a block, having in it achember to contain the charge, as shown in fig. 2, in which c represents the breech of the gun, and B the blooh, co'ntaining. the chamber C, located in the opening F. The-under portion of tho barrel is extended back in rear of the breech c, in the form of a `flat b ar or'plate, P, to form n. support for the rotating chambers. Upon this extension is placed a circular plate, E, which passes through the opening F inthe barrel A-, andl upon which is placed an annular breech-block, B, which has a seriesof chambers, A0, arranged radially in it, as represented In gs. 1 and 2. This breech-piece or ring, B, is made of the requisite size to admit-ot" having the chambers C formed in it, and is so located and arranged on the track or plate E as to bring the chambers C enactly in linewith the bore of the barrel, when it is turned to the proper position, as represented in fig-2. Upon. the under side of the ring B there is formed a projection, which is fitted into a corresponding recess in the face of. the K plate E, as represented at met iig. 2,'and which serves to hold the ring B in place, .and enable it to be turned j with facility. Inlarge guns the ingB will be turned by means of a crank and pinion, arranged'in-any suitable manner. 'Io a projection, n, attached to the rear end of the barrel, on its Aupper side, is pivoted a lever,A

l, to the lower end of which is attached. a rod, z, for operating it. To this lever l is pivoteda look-bolt, e, arranged to extend through the breech c, and enter a hole. in the. ring B, by which the latter is secured in place whenever a chamber, C, is brought in line with the bore, as shown in g. 2. Below the locking-bolt e, and oppositethe centre of the rear end of the chamber' C, is placed the tiring-pin or needle 0, which is-al/so pivoted to the lever l, a spiral spring on either the bolt e, or the pin o, or both, serving to force them forward with sufficient force to explodethe charge.

In using my gun, I propose to employ cartridges having fulminate located `at the ceutreot their base, to

be penetrated by a needle, like the Prussian ritle; or,cartridgecase having the vfulminate lplaced therein, as in the central-fire metallic cartridges, to be ignited by a blow from thetiring-pin, as fmay be most expedient in practice. Any suit-able gasLeheclr may also be arranged in the chamber C, to close'. the j oint between the ring B and the barrel at the time ofiiring. If preferred, the chambers need not extend'entirely through the ring B, but may havetheir inner or rea'r ends left closed. By this plan it will be seen that the recoil is borne by the breech c, which is formed solidwith the barrel, and thus the ring or block B is held securelyand yfirmly in place. The cartridges can/bev inserted as the ring B is being rotated, and thus the gun can be loa-ded and red with great rapidity.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim, is-

1. A cannon consisting of the barrel A, having' the annular block or ring, B, with the chambers C formed therein, arranged to rotate through an openingin the barrel, as described. y

2. The combination of the lever Z, locking-bolt E, firing-pin o, and handle L, arranged to opeiate sub'stath tially as set forth. AUG SCHASTEN Witnesses:

W.'C. DODGE, ILT. Doeen.- 

